Shelby Carpenter, the ACLU of Alaska's LGBT director, wrote a guest editorial "Discrimination puts all Alaskans at risk" in this week's Anchorage Press. She looks at the effects of Mayor Sullivan's veto of the equal rights ordinance passed by the Assembly on August 11 one year ago, and looks ahead to the ACLU's tax discrimination case. She concludes:
"In an age when gay couples are constantly in the media, when we watch "Will and Grace" on TV and see "Brokeback Mountain" in the movie theatre, it can be easy to forget that lesbian, gay, and transgender equality is about livelihoods rather than lifestyles. Because of discrimination, gay and transgender Alaskans suffer economically. Supporting equal rights is as simple as supporting the right of all Alaskans to earn a living and provide for their families."In this economy, no one should lose a job for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance. We know that Anchorage is better than this."Alaska's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and allies encourage the Anchorage Assembly to act once more to make the fair treatment of all Alaskans the law. As a community we can and must move forward."
Read the full editorial HERE.
1 comment:
I will give a moment of silence to remember the ordinance struggle last summer and to think of Steven's funeral at ABT (that I just read about in ADN online).
I understand why. This funeral location is about last-minute availability and television feeds. ABT is perfect for these reasons. It is also grossly insensitive to the memory of last year's defense of 'heterosexual superiority', to use Judge Walkers words.
I know many will disagree as it doesn't hurt them. But it does me, as I think of the fact I had lived in Alaska nearly as long as Senator Stevens and that I too, loved it dearly.
I'm sorry his family felt it could disregard ABT's potent symbolism in a time that could and should unite Alaskans. It is what being a minority is all about, though. It only takes an occasion such as this to remind us.
My condolences to all of you in Alaska who feel one more sting of intolerance, one more day of being willfully forgotten.
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